One Crafty Day

Two weeks ago I took Iris to Hobby Lobby to select art supplies and craft projects for the summer. You are probably thinking, "Wow, No Basement, you are one awesome Mom full of ideas!"

Nope. Not at all. I did it for me.

I would like to sit on the couch and sip lemonade and watch crappy TV and not interact with anyone. Seriously, if you were carrying a 25 lb. bowling ball around your waist in the middle of summer, you would relax your parenting expectations, too.

Yesterday we worked on fairy tale puppets. This $5 kit of four fairy tale characters kept us busy. All afternoon. I had to take a nap after we made the puppets. Confession: making these puppets was a lot of fun.

After lunch and my nap, we got to work on the puppet theatre space. Iris is so lucky her Mommy was a theatre major and took courses in Stagecraft and Scenic Design. I effing rocked that Target box into the awesomest 18th century proscenium arch theatre you ever saw. Oh yes, the proscenium is pink. With sticker detail work. Totally historically accurate. 

Making the puppets and the stage was a lot of fun for Iris and me. We spent a lot of great time together, and I had someone interested in a little conversation about theatre. I could hardly wait for the paint to dry on the stage and have our first puppet show.

Then came rehearsals.

I love Iris and appreciate her independent mind, but she is one ball-busting auteur theatre director. After running through the show, Iris said, "So, you totally have the fairy queen's lines down, right?"

"Oh man, I have to memorize all that!?! I thought you would say it for me and I could just wiggle the puppet around," I replied.

[Insert a big sigh from Iris] "Alright, I will say the lines for you. And the fairy queen shouldn't wiggle, she should float. You know, like how Glinda floats into Munchkin Land at the beginning of The Wizard of Oz. And don't forget every time I say the unicorn's name, you should let out a big, 'NEIGH!' Alright, Mommy?" 

"Yes, sir!" I replied. The above dialogue was not mean-spirited or sassy. I don't allow that kind of talk in my house. But darn it if it didn't have a specific vision, and it was really hard not to snicker a bit. I wonder if people snickered at Shakespeare or David Mamet or Sam Shepard when they directed their work for the stage?

Below is our first production of Sir Charlie Saves the Princess. Enjoy!